Clockwork time-fuze for projectiles without rifling



Nov. 22, 1966 R. WEBER 3,286,634

CLOCKWORK TIME-FUZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHOUT RIFLING Filed May 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

[N V EN TOR.

Nov. 22, 1966 CLOCKWORK TIME-FU Filed May 25, 1964 R. WEBER 3,286,634

ZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHOUT RIPLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

IN V EN TOR.

Rod 02f Wezv f R. WEBER Nov. 22, 1966 CLOCKWORK TIMEFFUZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHQUT RIFLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 25, 1964 INVENTOR. R ui 02 7 We 58* R. WEBER Nov. 22, 1966 3,286,634 CLOGKWORK TIME-FUZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHOU-T RIFLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

Filed May 25, 1964 Ruclozf United States Patent M 3, CLOCKWORK TIME-FUZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHOUT RIFLING Rudolf Weber, Schramberg, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignor to Messrs. Gebruder Junghans Aktiengesellschaft, Schramberg, Wurttemberg, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,870 Claims priority, application Germany, May 31, 1963, J 23,805 4 Claims. (Cl. 102-84) The invention relates to a clockwork time-fuze for projectiles without rifling which has a safety mechanism which while being simple and cheap is at the same time reliable.

It is characterized according to the invention in that a central retaining sleeve holds two diametrically opposite locking balls in locking engagement in two diametrically opposite bolts one of which engages with its front extension in the clockwork escapement whereas the two bolts in forward position lock with their rear end a known swing slide carrying the primer pellet in priming position against rotation by means of its torsion spring. The clockwork mechanism rotates a control shaft which engages with its flattened rear end the pellet carrier swing slide and looks it against turning. The retaining pins are secured in their rear position in known manner by an expanding spring. A known transverse plug pin preferably engages tangentially through an annular groove on the outer side of the retaining sleeve.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on line 11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2. a longitudinal section taken on line 22 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 a cross-section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a cross-section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 a cross-section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

The clockwork mechanism is shown diagrammatically and designated by U. It controls in known manner a striker pin 21 which is axially arranged and the shank of which is guided in a guide sleeve 22 fitted in an intermediate plate 23 fixed in the fuze. On the guide sleeve 22 a bell-shaped retaining sleeve 13 is placed and between its inner shoulder and the front end face of the guide sleeve 22 a known locking spring 14 is located.

A transverse plug pin 11 extends as safety device during transport tangentially through an annular groove 13a in the outer side of the retaining sleeve 13 and its hinged arm snaps into an open annular groove on the outer side of the fuze casing. Such plug pins here render the entire fuze mechanism inoperative.

Two retaining pins 16 are arranged one on each side of the retaining sleeve 13 and diametrically opposite each other and are held in their locking forward position by locking springs 17 which bear against the intermediate plate 23 at the rear and against the rear shoulder on the head of the pins 16 at the front. The front ends of the pins 16 are offset at 17a and one of them, that on the left in FIG. 2, engages in the movement escapement 18 and locks it.

In each of the heads of the pins 16 an annular groove 16a is cut in which locking balls 15 engage which are maintained in position by the outer wall of the retaining sleeve 13. The front boundary wall of the annular groove 16a is conical.

3,286,634 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 A pellet holder swivel lever 30 is located behind the striker pin 21 and carries eecentrically the primer pellet 32 and at an angular distance therefrom has a blind hole 33 so that in safety position the blind hole 33 and in primed position the primer pellet 32 is located behind the striker pin 21. A spiral spring is wound around the pivot axle 34 of the swivel slide 30 and tends to turn the swivel slide 30 into the priming position, that is to bring the primer pellet 32 behind the striker pin 21. The swivel slide 30 has on its periphery a collar 30a with two apertures .at an angular distance apart. The rear end heads 16c of the two retaining pins 16 engage in these apertures in their forward looking position. Each of the two retaining pins 16 has on the rear end head an annular groove 16b which after retraction of the pins 16 allow the passage of the collar 30a and consequently the turning of the swivel slide 30.

An axially parallel control shaft 19 is arranged eccentrically in the clockwork mechanism U and has a flattened rear end 19a which engages in the pellet holder swivel slide 30 and keeps it pressed in locking position against its torsional spring 31. The control shaft 19 is turned out of its locking position by the clockwork mechanism.

For fixing the two retaining pins 16 in their rearward position a known expanding spring 43 is provided the spreading arms 43a of which can snap in front of the end faces of the heads of the retaining pins 16.

The above-described arrangement operates in the following manner:

First the transport plug pin 11 is pulled out. On firing, the retaining sleeve 13 springs back and almost at the same time the two retaining pins 16. The retaining sleeve 13 releases the two locking 'balls 15 so that the retaining pins 16, owing to the conical boundary walls of their annular grooves 16a, push them inwards out of their rearward paths. One of the retaining pins 16 releases the movement escapement 18 so that the clockwork mechanism U commences to rotate the control shaft 19 and to unlock the striker pin 21. When its rear end flattened portion 19a has released the pellet carrier swivel slide 13 this turns the primer pellet 32 behind the striker pin 21 under the influence of the torsion spring 31, after the retaining pins have pushed their rear end annular grooves 16 to the height of the swivel slide collar 30a. It is held in this position by the arms of the expanding spring 43.

I claim:

1. Clockwise time-fuze for projectiles without rifling, comprising a fuze casing, a clockwork mechanism in the casing, a striker pin axially arranged in the casing, a central bell-shaped retaining sleeve surrounding the axial striker pin with the'latter and the retaining sleeve being movable relative to each other and are separate elements, a guide sleeve fixed in the fun casing and guiding a shank of the striker pin, the retaining sleeve also being provided on the guide sleeve, a spring to maintain the guide sleeve in place, a pair of feed spring loaded retainer pins arranged diametrically opposite each other on two sides of the retaining sleeve, a pellet carrier swivel slide arranged in the casing, at least one of said pins engaging the clockwork mechanism with its front end and both pins locking with their rear ends the pellet carrier swivel slide against rotation by a torsion spring, and two diametrically opposite locking balls in the retaining sleeve in engagement in annular grooves in the retaining pins in their forward position.

2. Clockwork ltime-fuze according to claim 1, in which an axially parallel rotatable control shaft is provided in the clockwork mechanism which engages with its flattened References Cited by the Examiner rear end in the pellet carrier swivel slide to secure it UNITED STATES PATENTS against turning.

3. Clockwork time-fuze according to claim 1, in which 1665666 4/1928 Junghans 1O276 the retaining pins are held in their back position by an 5 2821925 2/1958 Varaud 102 84 2,951,444 9/1960 Hunt, et a1. 102-78 expandmg spnng' 3,099,961 8/1963 sum 102-70 4. Clockwork time-fuze according to claim 1, in which a transverse plug pin is provided engaging tangentially BENJAMIN BORCHELT primary Examiner. tigrgoglligvin annular groove on the outer side of the retam- 10 G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. CLOCKWISE TIME-FUZE FOR PROJECTILES WITHOUT RIFLING, COMPRISING A FUZE CASING, A CLOCKWORK MECHANISM IN THE CASING, A STRIKER PIN AXIALLY ARRANGED IN THE CASING, A CENTRAL BELL-SHAPED RETAINING SLEEV SURROUNDING THE AXIAL STRIKER PIN WITH THE LATTER AND THE RTIANING SLEEVE BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND ARE SEPARATE ELEMENTS, A GUIDE SLEEVE FIXED IN THE FUZE CASING AND GUIDING A SHANK OF THE STRIKER PIN, THE RETAINING SLEEVE ALSO BEING PROVIDED ON THE GUIDE SLEEVE, A SPRING TO MAINTAIN THE GUIDE SLEEVE IN PLACE, A PAIR OF FEED SPRING LOADED RETAINER PINS ARRANGED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER ON TWO SIDES OF THE RETAINING SLEEVE, A PELLET CARRIED SWIVEL SLIDE ARRANGED IN THE CASING, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PINS ENGAGING THE CLOCKWORK MECHANISM WITH ITS FRONT END AND BOTH PINS LOCKING WITH THEIR REAR ENDS THE PELLET CARRIER SWIVEL SLIDE AGAINST ROTATION BY A TORSION SPRING, AND TWO DIAMTERICALLY OPPOSITE LOCKING BALLS IN THE RETAINING SLEEVE IN ENGAGEMENT IN ANNULAR GROOVES IN THE RETAINING PINS IN THEIR FORWARD POSITION. 